Senate Passes Manning Bill Creating Blackout License Plate

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 358, sponsored by State Senator Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville), which creates a specialty blackout Ohio license plate.

“Ohio currently has over 300 specialty license plates, and this bill provides one more option for Ohioans,” Senator Manning noted. “Numerous other states currently offer some form of a blackout plate to their citizens with the collected fees supporting their state highway systems. I'm grateful for this legislation receiving support from the Senate and look forward to watching discussions in the House.”

SB 358 creates a specialty Ohio license plate with a black background and white lettering. If passed, Ohioans can get the blackout plate with a $40 fee and $10 administrative fee. The bill credits the fees to the Department of Public Safety's Highway Purposes Fund, which supports the enforcement and administration of laws related to registering and operating motor vehicles in Ohio.

Additionally, the Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 343, sponsored by Senator Manning, to cover worker compensation claims from members of Ohio's urban search and rescue team when they are deployed in-state. The bill changes the burden of processing claims from the local government that the team is sent to onto the state.

Both SB 358 and SB 343 now head to the Ohio House for further consideration.

###